Detained Children Migrants What We Know

June 25, 2019 2:30 pm EDT Tiff Analysis Comments Off on Detained Children Migrants What We Know
small fence separates densely-populated Tijuana, Mexico, right, from the United States in the Border Patrol's San Diego Sector. Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Gordon Hyde (Department of Defense).

While I’d like to say this analysis will cover all the details regarding the chaos at the border, I can’t. It’s impossible to cover everything that we know so far about migrant kids, being held in U.S. custody at our Southern Border.

However, I’m going to attempt something new, a bit of opinion, a bit of news, and a timeline of what has happened so far in what we learned last week, are the poor conditions children as young as 2 face while in Border Patrol Custody under the Trump administration policies. Such as they are.

Last week, as the News Blender and Snip Bytes both reported, Department of Justice lawyer Sarah Fabian, argued before the 9th circuit panel that Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) did not need to give children in their custody soap, toothbrushes, or safe sleeping conditions to meet the “safe and sanitary,” conditions clause of the Flores Agreement.

Her reasoning was that the Flores Agreement did not enumerate what “safe and sanitary” meant.

Moving on.

That was Tuesday as Courthouse News reported.

AP News on Thursday reported that according to attorney’s that visited a Border Patrol Station in Texas that, “A traumatic and dangerous situation is unfolding for some 250 infants, children and teens locked up for up to 27 days without adequate food, water and sanitation.”

The Clint facility is located about 25 miles southeast of El Paso, Texas, the lawyers were given access, because, “they are involved in a legal settlement known as the Flores agreement that governs detention conditions for migrant children and families. The lawyers negotiated access to the facility with officials, and say Border Patrol knew the dates of their visit three weeks in advance.”

According to what they saw, the kids they spoke to told them, “that they were fed uncooked frozen food or rice and had gone weeks without bathing or a clean change of clothes.”

On Friday, Congresswoman Veronica Escobar (D-TX) reached out to Acting CBP Commissioner John Sanders, and CBP Chief Carla Provost to ask about reports of the conditions of the Clint facility, which as CNN reports is not a stand-alone facility facing charges of neglecting migrant children.

Attorney Toby Gialluca told CNN, that “virtually everyone we saw,” at the Ursula Processing Center in McAllen, Texas, “was ill,” she described the conditions as “a pervasive health crisis.”

Attorney Warren Binford told CNN via tweeted video clip, that what they saw were inhumane conditions.

In a statement via CNN on Friday, CBP told them, “All allegations of civil rights abuses or mistreatment in CBP detention are taken seriously and investigated to the fullest extent possible.”

On Saturday, Vox’s Aaron Rupar posted a clip from Fox & Friends host Brian Kilmeade, that in part says, “treat them with compassion,” but it’s not like this is happening to kids from “Idaho, or Texas.”

Right, as along as this doesn’t happen to “American Kids,” no problem. As a reminder President Trump is a fan of Fox & Friends, and often calls in to their program or tweets quotes from their program.

When Rep. Escobar reached out to CBP officials, she was told as Snip Bytes reported on Monday, that both Provost and Sanders were unaware of the conditions, and that an investigation has been launched into the matter.

She noted via her Twitter account that her office was told on Monday that only 30 children remained at the Clint facility.

She has also given officials until June 28th, to respond in writing to her listed questions she sent them on Friday.

Chris Hayes talked to GOP Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) about reported deplorable conditions for children in migrant detention camps.

According Burgess, he has not seen the conditions, as recently as 3 weeks ago, with a planned trip for Friday to revisit McAllen, Texas, holding facility, that have been reported.

He expands, that he has not visited the Clint facility, but he believes the “hatred of this President,” can lead to hyperbole.

He adds, in the 9 minute clip, that “there is not a lock on the door, any child is free to leave at anytime,” he continues, “but they don’t. You know why? Because they are well taken care of.” (around the 4:46 minute mark for the quoted comments)

On Tuesday MSNBC reported that of those children Escobar was told were moved, 100 hundred have been moved back to the Clint facility.

Also on Tuesday Acting ICE Director Mark Morgan told Fox & Friends holding facilities “are like police stations.” That comes after he begs Congress for more funding. Typical really.

Also on Tuesday the Washington Post reported that Acting CBP Commissioner John Sanders intends to resign the post, next month according to “Department of Homeland Security officials and a message sent to CBP staff Tuesday.”

As the article notes, his resignation comes after only two-months on the job, following the resignation of Department of Homeland Security Director Kirstjen Nielsen, who was replaced by CBP Commissioner Kevin McAleenan.

I have to figure more will be reported on the migrant children being held in the coming days and weeks.

As an aside, Morgan in his interview also blasted “leaks” regarding a planned ICE raid to deport illegal entry aliens, that had deportation orders.

Awkward….

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About Tiff 2551 Articles
Member of the Free Press who is politically homeless and a political junkie.